


In The Woods Somewhere

by SouthernGentleMonster



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Ben and Rey are cousins, Gay Armitage Hux, Gay Kylo Ren, M/M, Rural gothic, Witch AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-12 10:45:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18009482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SouthernGentleMonster/pseuds/SouthernGentleMonster
Summary: Armitage Hux had been living his life quietly on the outskirts of an old town and had no plans to change that. Until that is an unexpected family moved in across the way and brought something with them that would tear the town up from its roots and bring chaos into his life.





	1. Someone New

**Author's Note:**

> This concept was originally explored in my fic child of the moonflowers but I've found that I didn't like where the story was going in the old version so I'm revamping it after heavy modifications 
> 
> I'll be leaving the old fic up mostly so I have something to compare the new fic to while I continue to work on this

Autumn curled itself around the town, the early morning chill biting at his bare ankles as he ran into the yard for more wood. The wind rustled through the forest behind his cottage gave a life to the trees, even as their leaves fell off in death. Blue eyes under knitted brows stared out into its depths as he searched out the presence he had sensed there the night before. Even in the heavy sunlight, he did not see anything out of the ordinary. He hurried back inside before the fire would die out and even within the safety of inside there was an unease in the pit of his stomach that he was still being watched. He knew it wasn’t logical, he was outside the town limits and the only thing that came out here was the wildlife. Even the post wouldn’t come out this far. He gathered the ash within the new pile of logs with a practiced movement.  
  
  
After his time in the war, his patience for others had run thin, his ability to adjust to civilian life a struggle. He had kept contact with one of his superiors who he had bonded with during their times together. Rae had known him the best but after her passing, he mostly kept to himself. The amount of folk who had shown up at his door with gifts and repeated apologies had pushed him to his limit, making him all the more appreciative of the fact he lived outside of town. He spewed wilted words over and over again until they would leave him be. He did not wish to deal prodding questions of false sincerity, to become the subject of constant squawking of old mother hens lined in rows of church pews, as he was now a man with a tragic story they attempt to mend.  
  
  
  
He eyed his shotgun in the corner next to the small stack of firewood to make sure it was loaded just in case a situation would arise that he would need it, the safety switch the only thing between him and his target. He took the fire iron and pushed crumbled logs back up to the top of the pile, sparks scattered about like fire sprites. He sat down on the bench he used to eat his meals and let out a sigh. It was almost time to prep for supper, his way of winding down for the evening.  
  
With the setting of the sun, the outside chilled and the heat of the fireplace didn’t seem as stifling as he went about with dinner. He set the timer and made his way to his living room to where he flopped down on his couch and turned on his television and gave in to one of his few indulgences: the animal planet and history channel. Not that he would ever tell anyone of his fondness for them, Hux especially loved to watch these two stations as they showcased both animals and humans who were extremely powerful in their own rights. It would be a couple of hours before his meal would actually be ready and it was a relaxing way to end the day after spending the morning cutting wood.  
  
  
  
About thirty minutes into a program there’s a good solid knock on the door. At this point it was well past dark out and he didn’t have anyone that would have reason to visit him at this hour. He slowly stood and made sure his leg had long enough to dissipate the numb feeling caused by an old injury. By the time he made it to his front door another pound shook its frame. He opened the door and came face to face with a tall blonde woman, her blue eyes pierced into his from a strong face. It was then that he noticed the post office uniform.  
  
               “Apologizes for the disruption this evening sir, I am new and was informed no one delivered your mail and I just find that rather unprofessional.” She had a crisp… English accent? It had been quite some time since he had heard a non american accent. She handed him the mail and he eyed her. He was rather fine with picking up his own mail once a week. A roll of thunder echoed across the forest and he looked up, grey clouds covering the stars. As she looked up her eyes seemed almost too blue and something was off-putting. He couldn’t place what it was but he knew he didn’t trust it.

               “I hope it’s not rude for me to say but you don’t have to bring it.” He could feel a muscle in his face twitch as he tried to keep it blank. He had a system of how he did things and he’d like to keep it that way.

               “Oh don’t worry it’s no problem at all.” He nodded, he sensed she’d refuse his answer anyway. She soon disappeared back down the dirt road that led back into town, a strange smell left behind. The rest of the night went without incident and he had placed it at the back of his mind before going to bed.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A morning run, shower, and a quick breakfast later Hux was ready to head into town. There was a rowdy crowd of elderly who were at a lone chess board shouting about how if a move was legal or not when he has entered the store. His button-down stuck to his back but the AC was instant relief from the heat as he entered through the front of the building. Even though he had lived here for a few years he still hadn’t become accustomed to the heat. He looked down his list and mentally mapped out where he needed to go to get in and out without delay. He kept a steady pace so as not to be stopped.  
  
  
That’s when he heard it, the chatter of a group of women, gathered off to the side of the aisle, making tentative glances down the way. Once closer Hux could see why. There stood a young man his frame a good two inches taller than Hux himself, a glaring black blob amongst the brightness of the store. Skin tight black jeans and boots that came up to the knees, something that honestly belonged more in a club than a small town grocery. Surprising enough he had a simple long-sleeved black button down and a scarf that seemed large enough it looked more like a hooded cape a child would wear playing pretend. A mess of dark hair, freckled pale skin and eyes such a dark brown light seemed to get lost in them. He seemed so ridiculously dressed that Hux almost didn’t notice the rest of his family. A couple he assumes to be the parents, both greying and looking as if they both weren’t quite ready to outgrow their days at Woodstock. A much shorter girl with several buns who appeared the most normally dressed out of the group in simple high waist jeans and a white crop top.  
Hux pushed his cart forward with the hope the group of gossipers would scatter so he could continue to shop without any more disturbances. To his dismay, they did not and he let out a sigh.  
  
         
  
                “Please excuse me.” His tone was polite but underneath was a hint of annoyance. The group parted but he could feel their stares as he went about his business and he hadn’t even made it to the end of the aisle before they started up again. There was a sudden crash, everyone in sight whipped around to see what had occurred to see the young man staring down at the pile of eggs that slowly spread across the floor. The look on his face was that of someone who was amused while his younger companion looked annoyed.  
  
               “Oops?” The tone was almost mocking and somewhat childish for such a deep voice. That single word flamed the irritation Hux was feeling and made him instantly regret going shopping this early in the morning.

  
               “Well, are you going to pick it up?” Hux snapped his hands in a death grip around the shopping cart handle. Who does this guy think he is acting so casual after he made a mess. Amused brown eyes shifted to meet angry blue, a smile played at the edge of his lips as he took Hux in. Everyone at this point had turned to stare, the two men locked in place.  
  
  
  
               “Ben you have to be more careful and watch where you’re going. Come on, help me pick this up.” She bent over to gather up the broken eggshells, careful so that she did not break them further. A worker stood not too far away, washcloth in hand but a look of hesitation at stepping closer to the group. When Ben didn’t make a move to help the girl at his side gave him a jab to the side with her elbow.  
  
  
  
               “Ugh help her Ben you’re the one who caused this.” With a roll of his eyes, he strode over and ripped the cloth from the nervous workers' hands and threw it on the ground, using his feet to create a half circle with the rag to gather up the egg. At some point in the situation it seemed the father had wandered off, perhaps he had sensed the buildup of an explosion and had not wanted to deal with it.  
At this point another worker had shown up, the first worker spoke to him in hushed tones. The mother went up to them and seemed to be apologizing, her hands moved about frantically. The fluorescent lighting flickered above them and the air felt heavy and it wasn’t from the heat. A metallic taste crawled from the back of his throat. He quickly let go of his cart as the metal shocked him. The two workers, Finn and Poe, nodded along assuring her that it was all right that accidents happened. Hux was about to forego getting eggs at all, his patience run thin by having to stand there. He went to turn his cart so he could go around and damn near smacked right into the very source of his annoyance. He held a carton of eggs in his outstretched hand, the exact kind that Hux always bought.  
  
  
  
              “Well, aren’t you going to pick up your eggs?” He phrased his question in a similar manner that Hux had given his earlier, though an edge of amusement hinted in his words. Neither broke eye contact when Hux took the eggs from the others hands. The dark haired man turned on his heel and departed, a wet floor sign the only thing left behind to show there had been an incident. Everyone else seemed uncharacteristically calm for what just happened, on about with their own business as if they hadn’t just been standing there gawking. The chilled air was still heavy as if invisible cobwebs pressed against his skin. He chided himself for getting so worked up over eggs and went about the rest of his shopping. He managed to finish up without further problems which was a relief, the odd family well gone before he was done.  
  
The drive back felt surreal, Hux unsure why something so insignificant seemed to get under his skin. Maybe it was the idea that chaos in human form existing in his proximity was a threat to the small amount of order he brought to his life, or maybe how said walking disaster acted so friendly with him without even knowing Hux. With his arrival back home he still found his thoughts trapped on Ben. He hated it and he needed a distraction. He pushed the thoughts away and went about his tasks. A change of clothes and he was ready to chop more firewood that he would store away for the winter. The house was old even with renovations it struggled to stay warm in the cold months.  
  
He found a tree that was on its path to death, its pale body fragile from the start of decay, one good storm would bring it down if he didn’t. He swung hard. Blade hit bark, the sharp sound of splintering filled the air. The trunk was thick with age and it took a few good swings to really carve out a good sized chunk, even with his frustrations behind each swing. By the time he had felled the tree his body ached. He made quick work of them and moved on to breaking them up in logs. By afternoon all he had left was to split each log in half, Phasma having stopped by at some point to deliver the mail. She made a comment about how none of the news stations could decide on whether it was going to rain or not. Several stations reported that the signs for rain were all there except there was not a cloud in sight. Others were saying they might just get a dry thunderstorm. The interaction was strange, her attempts at socializing seemed far too forceful. Either way, Hux knew he needed to finish up soon for the storm would soon arrive. With Phasmas departure he started to stack what he had done in a pile next to his shed, his head now much clearer. Now he wanted nothing more than to soak in a hot bath, but first, he would have to shower. The very idea of sitting in his own filth grossed him out. He ran his hand through his hair to pull it away from his sweat soaked scalp, the fringe flopped back down across his forehead and he sighed. He made his way to the bathroom and stripped of his clothes into the hamper.  
  
  
  
When he finally stepped into the shower the scalding water reddened his skin but Hux paid no mind to its burn. He quickly washed until he felt satisfied enough to drop the plug into his drain, the tub quickly filled as Hux slid down and braced himself with a rag at the back of his neck where it rested against the tubs edge. When the bath was nearly full Hux stretched his leg forward and pressed the knob in to stop the water. Even though it was a bit awkward with his height it was always nice feel weightless in water without effort. He could feel the muscles in his back start to relax. He sat there for a good thirty minutes before the water started to run cold and he had to pull himself out. He took a towel and dried himself off, his hair at this point already dry, a messy wave atop his head. He threw on another tank and some sweats.  
  
  
  
When he finally thought he could settle down for the night and read before sleep a loud thud gave his heart a jump. There had been no warning to the sound so it couldn’t have possibly been an animal. He took a steady breath and threw on some socks and his boots. He grabbed his axe as he shut the door behind him and looked out into the twilight. From what he could see there was no tracks, or even a body print that would show something hit the house. It was then that he saw a flash of light further into the woods and he furrowed his brow. It was probably teenagers having a party but the strange thing was he heard no music. He paused, the lights fading in and out as if they called to him. All his instincts screamed to go back inside, lock the door but he found himself stepping forward towards the trees.  
  
Hux hurried through the forest, careful so that his feet would not trip on the underbrush. The axe in his grip felt heavier as he went, his pulse jumping in his throat as his surroundings grew darker the further he went in. Another glow off to his left just out of sight to clearly see what gave off the light. Sweat gleamed upon his skin as he ran after, the night autumn air stifling and making his lungs burn. It felt like an eternity before he broke through the thick of trees, his skin flecked with singeing scratches from branches. Moonlight flooded the clearing, flowers were scattered in the small field that reflected the lunar light that fell from the heavens. There amongst them stood Ben, his slender hands stretched above him as if he personally was there to accept the galaxies blessings. The tangle of his long hair clasped at the nape of his neck with a vine of thorns, pale skin alight with the moon, the scatter of freckles upon his back like constellations of worlds unknown. It was then that Hux realized that the other was completely nude. Heat spread across his face, not knowing whether to blame the heat of the night or the fact he actually found Ben attractive like this.  
  
  
  
It was then that the young man started to dance, the grace of which he did so clashed with his bulk. It was like Ben’s body had become one with the wind, limbs moved without hesitation, his feet glided as if they did not touch the earth. Hux didn’t even hear when he dropped his axe, hands loose at his side as he watched events unfold. Ben turned towards him and he almost panicked, nowhere for him hide within the tangle of trees behind, but as he danced on his eyes remained closed, dark lashes stark against translucent skin. If the night couldn’t get any stranger the orbs of light appeared again, this time emitting strange noise like echoes of flames long extinguished. Bens handed started to blacken as they swooped down close to his body, one hand caressed his face and left a darkened smudge across the bridge of his nose and down his cheek where it ended at the edge of his jaw as if his flesh was living ash. Flame bled through the cracks in Bens skin, Hux nearly cried out as he watched it consume the dark haired man up his elbows as he continued to dance, but he did not shout out in pain. It was if time both blurred and stopped, the young man in front of him continued to move even though everything around him did not exist. Bens dance grew more aggressive, the flame flickered off high branches and his feet dug into the mossy earth, the lights formed a wall that glowed bright before vanishing.  
  
  
  
Hux ran. Whatever it was that he saw back in the clearing was obviously a dream, or some weird hallucination. He tried to remember if there was anything strange he had eaten, perhaps something odd he had watched on one of his history shows and his brain was being cruel while he attempted to sleep. Everything seemed too loud now, his breath heavy in his ears and the way branches whipped back as he ran past. Trees were thinning out, so that meant he was going the right way, yes? Hux couldn’t think straight. There! The sight of his home had never given Hux such a feeling of relief. When he made it to the front door he collapsed, his heart pounded so hard he felt it throughout his whole body. What frightened him most was the very fact he was afraid. Hux had seen many horrors in the war, other soldiers blown to bits right there next to him, limbs and guts being thrown about like confetti. So why is it something like this that sent a chill to his bones? When he felt that he could stand again he made his way inside, stripped himself of torn and bloody clothes and for once without a care left them there on the floor. He crawled into bed in nothing but a pair of briefs, the coolness of the sheets a comfort to his burning skin. It wasn’t long before Hux fell into a restless sleep.


	2. Sedated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux puts his best foot forward in confronting what has started to happen in his life and finds that it wasn't going to be as easy as he thought. There was most definitely something strange going on that he didn't understand.

When he awoke his entire body was sore and it took him a moment of controlled breathing before he could move. He rubbed his face into his pillow as if that would help clear away the dredges of sleep only to find his pillow now stained with black substance. He rolled out of the bed, nearly knocked his side table over as he rushed to the vanity. Sure enough ash covered his face. Did he in his feverish state do something foolish? Hux went room to room as he searched  for anything that would tell him what happened the night before.  
  
  
  
The damaged clothes from before were nowhere to be found, but other than that everything seemed to be where Hux usually kept them. He went to his front door and was relieved to see that he had at least been in the right state of mind to lock it. He opened it to find his mail tucked underneath a rock, a neat handwritten note along with it from Phasma he assumed, voicing concern that he did not answer his door. He looked out into the woods, the bright sunlight and bird song giving it an almost cheerful atmosphere even if Hux felt like there was a chill. He then took notice of something that made his heart jump into his throat. The axe, the one that he clearly remembered being left behind in the woods in his dream, sat there very real and very much burned along the oak wood handle.

 

It wasn’t possible, the events he had witnessed had to be dream, a possible side effect of being alone so long he imagined some ridiculous scenario. He closed his eyes and rubbed at his temple, mind strained to remember anything from the last day or so but everything that came up was what happened in the forest. He gave a frustrated sigh and leaned up against his doorway.   
  
There at the top of his door frame, a mark about the size of his thumb, appeared to be burned. A small triangle with the point faced up. Beneath it a set of stiff lines and swirls that branched off of it. He knew it wasn’t there before so where the hell had it come from and what was it. He let his fingers trace it, the wood strangely warm but did not burn him. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion, only one thing had recently changed and that was the town's new residents. By the end of the day he had installed a camera out of sight but still had a view of his door. The next step wasn’t as easy. It required him to go out of his way to dig for information on where to find the trouble before it grew into a problem. What he wasn’t expecting was to find in existence an old castlesque home in the woods only a few miles out from his home. Then again small town like this it’s not exactly something you’d want known based on its history. There had been a fire, its victim somehow vanishing soon after but never confirmed if dead, strange happenings in the surrounding woods. But that had been years ago and things had weirdly stopped, that is until last night. It didn’t even take him an hour to pull what he needed from the local gossip and he was soon on his way.

  
When he arrived he noticed the trees hugged the property closely, their branches almost seemed intertwined with each other. The front of the house the only place with yard space, flowers scattered about long grasses that should have been dead already with the autumn weather. With a brisk stride he walked up the drive, his boots the only thing to make a sound in the clearing. To his left he could see a small trail that led to what he presumed to be the old temple he had read about. The house before him was old, but it was obviously being watched after by someone as it had not fallen to rot. Tall glass windows stood guard of the large wooden front door, their surface warped to the point one couldn’t see inside. A tower stood to the left side as if it was a last minute decision to build, its spire rose well above the rooftops. He reached the homes threshold, fist raised to give a steady knock when the door opened, his hand almost collided with the young girls face from the market. He had heard no movement from inside the house that would have warned him of her arrival. She did not jump as one would expect, dark brown eyes bore into his as if she could see right through him.

  
  
  
  
  


  
“Oh, you’re that fellow from the market. Real hard to miss with hair like that.” An accent that threw him off, weirdly similar to that of Phasmas. He had to wonder if she was somehow related to this mess. There was a shuffle not far behind, a stern looking woman joined the first and her eyes locked onto him watching his every movement. They seemed weary, which he didn’t blame them he supposed considering they didn’t know who he was, though this did not deter him from his mission. He squared his shoulders and readied himself for any excuse that may leave her tongue as many parents do when their children cause havoc.

  
“This morning I found damage done to some of my property and I will not tolerate it. I have lived here for several years and had no issues whatsoever until you and your family moved here. I realize teenagers can grow bored in places such as this but that is no excuse for this behavi-” he was cut off when a laugh bubbled from the woman in front of him. Her eyes crinkled in amusement as if his anger was not worth seriousness. He clenched his hands until he felt the sting of his nails cut into his skin.  
“I in no way find this funny ma’am and have to ask why it is that you seem to.” Blood rose to pale cheeks and blue eyes narrowed.

 

  
“Well you see sir we haven’t had any teens for a couple years now, but if it is my two children you speak of I can assure you they are both of adult age. As far as your vandalism problem I don’t think we can help you. Neither Ben nor Rey have left the property since our little marketplace incident.” She gave a side eye when there came the bang and a low grumble as the man in question appeared. Clean shaven face stark against dark hair and clothing that seemed covered his body from neck to toe except his hands. He searched for any telltale signs of burns even if it was illogical and he scolded himself for even looking, would he even be here if he had really caught fire. He was pulled from his thoughts as the air became harder to breathe, an electric taste on his tongue and he felt dizzy for a moment. Hux then felt a push inside his mind, like a hand had reached in and attempted to rearrange his thoughts. He tried to concentrate past the weird sensation but a sharp pain hit him, sounds were warped and he wasn’t quite sure what was going on but It soon passed. The grey haired woman in front of him had her hand out and seemed to nod her head in his direction.

 

  
“Well how about it, would you like to come in for some tea?” It was as if all his irritation had drained away and was replaced with nothing? As if his mind laid empty, ready to be filled whatever emotion he was next presented. He knew he should panic, that something was obviously wrong but he couldn’t bring his mind to pull up that emotion.

 

“Uh sure.” He had completely missed the first part of the verbal interaction but he found himself being drawn into the house, the smell of earth thick in the air. Old boards creaked in the narrow entryway, three short hallways shot off to separate rooms. At the back of his mind a small voice seemed to struggle to be heard, its pleads muffled under the weird empty fog that filled his head. He had come here for a reason, was his reason tea? The more he fought against the fog, the more his mind seemed to strain. He was being led down a hallway that opened up into an open kitchen. Boxes were scattered about but it was obvious there had been progress in their unpacking. A kettle already sat ready atop a stove, a tower of cook books sat in a hazardous pile nearby. With what counter space available they had covered plants, their leaves giving the room a surreal glow under the stream of sunlight hitting green. Through the open door in the kitchen he could see the grey haired man from before cutting away at weeds with an extremely tall, long haired man.

  
“So Mister…?” He looked down at this woman, one whom he towered over, but still felt an authoritative presence about her. She reminded him of his Rae. Regal in her own right, soft but could turn to steel without hesitation.

 

  
“Armitage Hux.” With the screech of steam from the kettle she hustled over to pull it off the stove.

  
“Is green tea with mint alright with you?” Rey had reentered the room, her hair back up in several buns again. She wore some relaxed fabric dress that bunched up at her waist in a band. He gave a nod in response. Beside her was Ben who leaned up against the wall, arms crossed with a smug look on his face as if he knew something about Hux that he didn’t know about himself. A tea cup appeared in front of his face as if by magic.

  
“Come, sit now. There is sugar on the table if that is what you like. My name is Leia by the way.” She stuck her hand out and he shook it, her small hands clasped onto his with a grip that told of experience. He sat in a rickety chair that he feared for a moment wouldn’t hold his weight but held when he relaxed into it.

  
“Aunt Leia there seems to be a leak in the upstairs bathroom do you know which box the tools are in so I can fix it?” She absentmindedly picked at dirt under her nails as Leia gave her an intense look. Hux felt pressure in the room briefly before she spoke.

“It’s in the pile by the fireplace, should be second box from the top.” There was something Hux was sure he was missing here. She left without another word and it was only the two of them until they grey haired man entered the kitchen.

 

  
“Oh Armitage this is my husband Han.” Han didn’t seem to have much interest in who Hux was but his body language read that he was on edge and had something to say in privacy. He gave a halfhearted wave of hand before he grabbed Leia by the elbow and attempted to pull her from the kitchen.

  
“There is something important we need to discuss and I think it best I show you.” Hux knew this coded language well. It was something his parents did quite often when he was a child, usually ending in shouting matches and slammed doors. So much for being subtle. She rose and went with him into what he assumed to be their living room down the hall, the hushed whispers laced with urgent tones. That left him there in the kitchen with Ben who had arrived as his parents were leaving, Hux still in his weird mind fog though now that Leia had left the room he seemed to feel the layer of irritation beneath that had brought him here to begin with. Ben stood there taking up space as if the world should bow to his presence, his broad shoulders stooped slightly without the scarf he had first seen him with.

  
“So do you always lurk about or is this one of those alpha male intimidation bullshit acts?” The heat of the cup in his hands burned at his skin but he refused to set it down just as he refused to back down from the stare off between the two of them. Ben gave a smirk, a chuckle low in his throat.

  
“Do you always randomly show up at people’s houses looking like a pissed off cat?” The underlying anger that had been quelled rose up with the others taunt. Ben pushed himself off the wall and plopped himself down in the chair next to Hux.

  
“So surely you're not really here for tea, are you?” The muggy feeling inside his head had started to clear, as if fire had burned away cobwebs. His eyes drawn down to Bens hands as he searched for what should be blackened skin. Bens fingers splayed across the table in display, hands larger than the plate. The skin wasn't singed as Hux expected but there was definite splotches of pink shiny skin that looked like burn scars. Hux roughly placed the tea cup down, some of its liquid sloshed onto the table as he stared in disbelief.  
  
“But how is that possible? I saw you, in the woods you were on fire--” he spat the words out through clenched teeth, Ben had lifted his hand to place it on Hux lips to silence him as they heard footsteps in the other room but Hux had slapped the hand down back on the table.  
  
“I never said you could touch me.” Anger returned to Hux features, lip pulled back in disdain. Ben took his hand back into his lap, his wide brown eyes showed hesitation for a moment as he glanced back to where his parents were in the other room. He gnawed at his lips before he spoke again.  
  
“You are obviously a man of logic Hux, but even so you can trust what your own eyes see, can you not? You have proof.” He lifted his hand again and wiggled his fingers about. Ben licked his lips while he looked over at Hux through long lashes.  
“I could also continue to take my clothes off if you like, I’m sure you remember that part of that night.” Pink splotches appeared on Hux cheeks, hands clenched atop the table as he glared at Ben and opted to ignore his last comment. The insufferable bastard.

 

“And what is it that you are suggesting, that you’re what? A coven of vampires? That

even though you were on fire that you’re somehow fine now? This goes beyond that of logic but considering you seem to know just as much about this and how my axe was returned burned, the only logic is that it really happened.” The entire time Hux spoke his voice remained steady though his anger simmered beneath, Ben very much looking amused. His laugh was loud and sounded deep in his chest, an obnoxious sound to his ears.

 

“Well coven of vampires isn’t one I have heard before, we’d make a real interesting group if we were.” Ben leaned forward, dark hair fell forward to reveal a set of large ears. Ben gave Hux a lopsided smile, his brown eyes held laughter. “Don’t freak out this time all right?” Ben took his pointer finger and glided it across a small cut on his neck he hadn’t even realized he had, a sensation of sharp heat pulsed across his skin before Ben pulled his hand away. Their faces were so close at this point Hux could feel the breath of the man across from him on his mouth, the smell of mint and cinnamon between them.

“There, all healed.” He stuck his finger into his and let out a puff of smoke when he removed it.

 

“What the hell are you.” His instincts were screaming, he should leave or call the cops because it was obvious something horrible was happening.  _ ‘I’ve probably been drugged by a bunch of hippie weirdos.’  _

 

“Now would you believe me if I told you that we were witches, well my mother, Rey, and I. Dear old father isn’t in on the fun.” The words barely came out as a whisper, as if he was afraid they would escape his mouth and fly their way to his parent’s ears.

  
“What if I told you that would be preposterous and I get up from this table and phone the police because you’re obviously on something that is altering your state of mind.” Ben reached out and grabbed onto Hux’s wrist, a look of determination graced his features.

  
“What of what you saw? In the forest? Would you honestly just pretend it never happened? Or should I let my mother continue to haze your mind and make you forget? I know you felt it earlier, that push inside your head. That was her. Aren’t you a bit curious?” Hux focused on one of the many spots on Bens face and took a deep breath. All of this went against everything Hux knew, everything within his quiet and orderly life, now being laid to waste by the young man in front of him. He ran his hand through already messy hair.

  
“If this be true then what the hell were you doing in the forest arse naked?” he demanded. The taller man pulled back and looked sheepishly out the glass doors to where the unknown was hidden by the forest.. He glanced back at Hux and bit at the corner of his lip. If he kept that up he was going to end up biting it off.

  
“I was spell casting, putting up barriers and such because magic attracts magic even if we don’t want it too… also I didn’t feel like burning a good set of clothes while using an intense amount of magic. Unlike my cousin the side effect of my magic is quite destructive.” He threw up his hand once again in emphasis. Hux squinted his eyes as if not quite convinced.

  
“Okay but that doesn’t explain why your hand isn’t some burnt mess it just looks like you got a bad sunburn.” He gave a snort. 

 

“Rey healed my arms.” That’s when it really clicked with what had happened. His axe being at his door, weird ash everywhere and his clothes missing. The strange mark on his door.

 

“You were in my house.” His hands curled up into fists and he could feel the bite of his nails against his palms. “How dare you.” 

 

“Only because you were screaming in your sleep.” He didn’t care for the reasoning behind the invasion and he stood quickly, nearly knocking the chair over. He brought the cup of tea up and dumped it over Bens head who looked as shocked as Hux felt before he stormed out of the house. There was pressure in his head once more but this time it felt warm.  
  
_‘Do not be a fool and listen to your gut. There is something out there and it isn’t me. We must speak again.’_  
  
“Like hell i’ll listen to you.” He imagined a wall in his mind thinking just maybe it would block out the intrusive words and strangely enough it worked.   
Hux got back into his car, eyes constantly checked the mirror on the drive back to assure himself that no one followed him. Once home he checked for his gun and found it where it should have been. He placed it next to his couch where he sat and ran his hands through his hair and sighed. Though what could it do against people who could apparently use magic? He felt an oncoming migraine and rubbed at his temples. The next time he saw Ben he just might deck him for the fact he came into his home without his permission and used his weird magic on him. He did not enjoy the idea that Ben wanted to talk to him more about what had happened at a later date. Couldn’t he drag someone else into his obscure life? All Hux wanted was some damn peace and quiet.


End file.
